Oxbridge applications 2019 (part two).

[Justanothermile]

New thread, I hope it's okay to start one.

Good luck today for those still waiting for interview news, which includes us.

Congratulations to those already with dates.

Its full name is the SixthTerm Examination Paper, so summer term of year 13, i.e. after getting offers, even, in the normal course of events? (Sorry, not got a current A lavel Maths student / applicant, so just guessing from the title).

It's taken in the middle of A level exams. They get the results at midnight online the day A level results come out (ie about 8 hours before A levels results) It can mean a sleepless night for those who miss their STEP offer, waiting until Track opens to see if they get their place anyway.

Thank you. Got a Scottish DD thinking about it while weighing up her Advanced Higher options.

Hi all. Good luck to everyone for results day, but if it doesn't go to plan there are still plenty of options, please encourage DC not to rush their decision making.
DD interviewed at Cambridge last year and didn't get an offer, she was heartbroken at the time but because of all the advice we'd received from Mumsnet she already knew to treat it as a two year process.
She turned down the offers sure was holding and decided to try again.
She spent a lot of time worrying, feedback from her interview helped her focus, it was very hard for her to watch her friends leave for University as she thought they'd all forget her.
This year she's had another interview, who knows what will happen, whatever it is she is ready for it.
She's been working on 3 jobs, tutoring and doing a Literature course for fun! She turned 18 on August and wasn't ready for University last year, this year she is a more confident person ready to take on the world wherever she goes to university.
Nothing takes away the disappointment we feel for them not achieving something they worked so hard for but it can still be the best thing that happens to them.
Again good luck to everyone.

Gosh - that's tough re the STEP result timing, in my opinion anyway. With the caveat that I know zero about the exam, is the only reason that it is taken for university entrance requirements?

Hi holly, the very best of luck to your DD. She would seem to be a determined person to try the application process again, and have a year seeing her peers start university.

Final day of school for DD today for the term, and myself for work until after Christmas as it happens!

Is so wish the MN 'stat' were true😁.

STEP is taken so late so that they can use more A level knowledge than MAT. I suspect the timing of the results is down to UCAS regulations.

howabout, if your dd is really good at maths, don't let her be put off by the way STEP is done. It's thought to be one of the factors in why so few girls apply to Cambridge - they don't tend to be risk takers so much and they see it as a risk. The most important factor in choosing which university is actually which one she prefers.

As an Oxford history alumna, I just received this article about admissions and outreach:

www.history.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate-admissions-and-outreach

Bit late for 2019 applicants but I think some useful background about admissions and outreach for those wondering how it works.

OYBK thank you for the encouragement. Actually I think STEP being so late is a good thing, especially from a Scottish student's pov which was why I checked. The more problematic issue is the insistence on 3 Advanced Highers. DD2 could do this but would prefer 2 AH plus 2 extra Highers. Oxford seem to be more flexible on this so it is interesting that they are actively looking to recruit Scots.

Could I ask when all your DC are doing/did their mocks? DD's are mid-January and school informed them today that they should be doing eight hours of revision per day over the Xmas break (Bank Hols excluded)! DD, who has anxiety anyway, is now convinced that everyone will be doing far more revision than her (notwithstanding that she's been revising for several weeks already).

I have suggested to her that no-one is actually going to be doing that much revision over the break, even if they haven't started yet. She doesn't believe me. And don't even get me started on how she's completely written off her chances at Oxford based on that one coughing fit at the end of her second interview...I'm being all lovely and calm and supportive in RL and ranting on here.

My ds finished mocks yesterday and is now off school. He did no studying for them at all and used them as an opportunity to see how much he remembered and what areas he needs to focus his studying now going towards the exams. He will continue to work over the holidays as that is just who he is but he felt these mocks were pointless.

Spiral please tell your daughter that mocks are not a competition. Its not like there are only so many A*s to be handed out and once they've gone they've gone. Mocks should help highlight weaker areas for more practice. Getting ready for A levels is her own journey and it doesn't matter what other people do. Some plod, some sprint and some fall down the ditch. What matters is that you learn from the mocks otherwise they are a bit of a pointless exercise.

Spiral it is far more important she relaxes and enjoys Christmas!

Gosh - not massively helpful advice from school spiral, especially if your DD suffers with anxiety. Mid January here too. I'd far rather they crack on with finishing the syllabus and starting specific revision and exam practice. As others have said, I guess the mocks will identify areas of weakness but I'm hoping they don't knock DD's confidence for any reason. Far better also that your Dd is rested for her final term and a bit than tired and stressed.

Interesting article thank you mateysmum. I'd very much like to know if gaining a place on the UNIQ course is taken into account at decision time - it's great that they are increasing the number of places available.

My DS had an offer for maths at Cambridge. He missed the STEP grade though achieved A* in four A levels. He went to his insurance uni and was in good company there (and very happy) among others who had done the same. So it all works out wherever they end up.

In hindsight maybe he should have applied to Oxford as if he had an offer there he would have been pretty confident he would end up there. STEP gave a great deal of uncertainty and extra stress over the A level period because of the timing of the exams.

Last summer a head was publicised on tv as saying 8 hrs a day was essential for A levels. My DD worried and tried it for a day. It made her spaced out and feeling unwell. So she studied far less but effectively. And is happily succeeding at Cambridge!

Tell DD find her own level. My DD was too tired for real vigour at mocks due to coursework, oxbridge
interview and extra curric. Responsibilities. Tell DD to find her happy place of work/rest. Worked for us.

Thank you everyone - I just read your replies to DD and she's feeling a bit calmer now.

She's studying three essay-based subjects so needs to revise, just not as excessively as school seem to think!

Eight hours! I'm not sure any of mine have ever done 8 hours a day at any point in the process! I would suggest she works out what she wants to cover and goes more by that rather than stressing about how long it's taking.

I'd very much like to know if gaining a place on the UNIQ course is taken into account at decision time

They do address this on the UNIQ site I think. It can't give you an automatic advantage - that wouldn't be fair on those who have never even heard of it, or wouldn't be eligible for it. But it will be good concrete evidence of commitment and love for your subject, and those who have done UNIQ do have higher than average acceptance rates. (Anecdotally, my dd did it, as part of a group of 12. 10 applied for Oxbridge and 8 or 9 got offers.)

Cambridge must surely vastly over-offer for Maths, for example, due to the proportion of applicants who fail to make the grade in STEP?

No surely the use STEP to ensure they get the right number.

Re mocks DD just had hers - actually she was meant to have them the week of the Oxford interview so she had to postpone them...school didn’t tel her when she’d be doing them (she thought after Xmas with the yr 12 exams) but they sprung them on her last week! So she had to do them on no revision!

In other news she had a lively email from SOAS (where she has an offer from) telling her that they’ve shortlisted her for an academic scholarship worth £7000 per yr and another £7000 if she were to graduate with a 1st. There’s nothing she can do to influence the outcome but it’s lovely to be in the shortlist!

Should read *lovely email not lively!

Adding to the mocks - they are having another set in March.

Wiifitmama Wed 19-Dec-18 16:57:20
My ds finished mocks yesterday and is now off school. He did no studying for them at all and used them as an opportunity to see how much he remembered and what areas he needs to focus his studying now going towards the exams. He will continue to work over the holidays as that is just who he is but he felt these mocks were pointless.

I think we have the same son, DS spent all his time revising for the MAT before his first mocks. They have another lot after Xmas, and he is thinking of "doing a bit" but noting exactly how much he does in each subject and adjusting up or down according to how he does.

If he doesn't get an Oxford offer, he will either relax and settle for his second choice, or go overboard to prove them wrong, and maybe sit the STEP and try for Cambridge next year.

Sunshineonleaf Wed 19-Dec-18 19:00:50
In hindsight maybe he should have applied to Oxford as if he had an offer there he would have been pretty confident he would end up there. STEP gave a great deal of uncertainty and extra stress over the A level period because of the timing of the exams.

This is exactly why DS decided to go for Oxford. His argument was that the MAT was a fair test, whereas he might not even have got an interview for Cambridge, especially as his teachers were quite mean with predictions.
They are all now saying he could get 4 As, but only the Maths teacher was prepared to predict A before the interview.
It felt as though they didn't talk to each other, because 4 A*s is ridiculous, but any 2 or 3 out of the 4 is almost certain for him.

I really do not understand why schools do the mocks just before Christmas! Seems such a waste of time, energy and effort. I have told DD to treat the mocks (after Feb half-term in her school) as a tool to monitor where she is at and what else she needs to work on, but to not stress at all about them. In fact, I really emphasised on the NO stress about anything anymore at all, until the A level exams, as anything they do from now until the exams will not count towards their applications in any way. The month of the A level exams will be hard enough without schools having to pile on the anxiety before that also.

Does anyone's DC here received law offers from Edinburgh or Glasgow? My son has both and is trying to decide between the two if Oxford doesn't pan out.